Prince arrived on the scene in the late-70s, and it didn't take long for him to upend the music world with his startling music and arresting demeanor. He rewrote the rulebook, forging a synthesis of black funk and white rock that served as a blueprint for cutting-edge music in the '80s. He made dance music that rocked and rock music that had a bristling, funky backbone. From the beginning, Prince and his music were androgynous, sly, sexy and provocative. His colorful image and revolutionary music made him a figure comparable in paradigm-shifting impact to Little Richard, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix and George Clinton.

By his early teens Prince had already mastered multiple instruments and was fronting his first band, Grand Central. A demo tape by the young prodigy resulted in major-label interest, and an 18-year-old Prince signed to Warner Bros. Records, insisting on the right to self-produce. His solo debut album, For You (1978) unveiled a budding genius and one-man band. For You included "Soft and Wet," an early glimpse at Prince's uncensored sexuality, and second ever single "Just as Long as We're Together." The rest is music history.